NAIROBI, Kenya — A mom of two younger kids in Somalia was pressured to depart them behind after her husband significantly injured her upon studying that she had left Islam for Christianity, she mentioned.
Thirty-year-old Fatuma (whose surname is being withheld for safety causes), put her belief in Christ on Oct. 15 at an underground church service in an undisclosed village in northwest Somalia’s Mudug Area. She fled her residence and youngsters, ages 4 and 6, after her husband beat her on Dec. 8, she mentioned.
“I miss my children, but I cannot go back to my husband because he will kill me,” Fatuma informed Morning Star Information. “I live in great pain due to my fractured hand and serious scars which have disfigured my face, as well as a stressful life of being absent from my children. I have forgiven my husband and am praying for God to change his life. I am very hurt and need prayers to heal my broken heart.”
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She mentioned her mother-in-law first found her praying within the identify of Issa (Jesus) on Dec. 4 and warned her to cease, telling her, “Islam requires us only to pray in the name of Allah and Muhammad — please stop these kinds of prayers immediately. Let this be your first and last to prayer in such a bad way. This is devilish, and if you do not stop then you will be thrown out of the family.”
Fatuma informed Morning Star Information that her religion got here from God and was rising, that she had discovered a greater life in Christ and determined to proceed secretly praying in His identify.
When her mother-in-law once more discovered Fatuma praying in Christ’s identify two days later, she grew to become livid, telling her, “I had given you a serious warning, but you have deliberately decided to ignore it — my son then will have to divorce you,” Fatuma mentioned.
On Sunday at about 7 p.m., her husband arrived and beat her with sticks earlier than her mother-in-law managed to rescue her, Fatuma mentioned. She has since left the area. A Christian chief in Somalia whose identify is withheld for safety causes has given her refuge.
“God promised to give us peace and love,” mentioned one other Christian in Somalia, additionally on situation of anonymity, “so we need to pray for our sister Fatuma for God’s abundant peace at this trying moment.”
Somalia’s structure establishes Islam because the state faith and prohibits the propagation of some other faith, in response to the U.S. State Division. It additionally requires that legal guidelines adjust to Sharia (Islamic regulation) rules, with no exceptions in utility for non-Muslims.
The dying penalty for apostasy is a part of Islamic regulation, in response to mainstream faculties of Islamic jurisprudence. An Islamic extremist group in Somalia, al-Shabaab, is allied with al-Qaeda and adheres to the educating.
Al Shabaab sympathizers even have killed a number of non-local folks in northern Kenya since 2011, when Kenyan forces led an African coalition into Somalia in opposition to the rebels in response to terrorist assaults on vacationers and others on Kenya’s coast.
Somalia is ranked 2nd on Christian help group Open Doorways’ 2024 World Watch Checklist of the 50 international locations the place it’s most troublesome to be a Christian.
This text was initially revealed at Morning Star Information
Morning Star Information is the one impartial information service focusing solely on the persecution of Christians. The nonprofit’s mission is to supply full, dependable, even-handed information to be able to empower these within the free world to assist persecuted Christians, and to encourage persecuted Christians by informing them that they don’t seem to be alone of their struggling.
“Well bless their hearts.”
